Nectonema
| Nectonema | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Superphylum: | Ecdysozoa |
| Clade: | Nematoida |
| Phylum: | Nematomorpha |
| Class: | Nectonematoida |
| Order: | Nectonematoidea Rauther, 1930 |
| Family: | Nectonematidae Ward, 1892 |
| Genus: | Nectonema Verrill, 1879 |
| Species | |
|
N. agile | |
Nectonema is a genus of marine horsehair worms first described by Addison E. Verrill in 1879. It is the only genus in the family Nectonematidae described by Henry B. Ward in 1892, in the order Nectonematoidea, and in the class Nectonematoida. The genus contains five species; all species have a parasitic larval stage inhabiting crustacean hosts and a free-living adult stage that swims in open water.